Syrian tribes announce 'resistance' against foreign troops, support for Assad

'More than 70 tribes in Syria have reiterated support for President Bashar al-Assad and announced the creation of a “resistance” front against the American, French, and Turkish presence on Syrian soil.

The heads of the tribes gathered in Dayr Hafer near Aleppo on Saturday for what they called “Syrian tribes against foreign intervention and the American presence on Syrian soil,” Agence France-Presse reported.

They mostly hailed from the Syrian provinces of Hasakah, Aleppo, and Raqqah, reasserting their commitment to the Syrian state, territorial integrity, and flag and pledging to form a joint force to expel foreign troops and militants.

"The tribal leaders announced the formation of a popular resistance unit that will fight alongside the Syrian Arab Army in a bid to liberate all Syrian lands and expel all foreign forces in Syria," pan-Arab online newspaper Al-Masdar News reported.

The new force, it said, will "make a direct move against" the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and US troops in eastern Syria.

“Given the size of these tribes, they could present a serious problem for the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria if they receive military assistance from the Syrian Arab Army,” the newspaper wrote.'